Improvement in horse-detachers



UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD M. SHIRLEY, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN HORSE-DETACHERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 215,249, dated May 13, 1879 application filed September 23, 1878.

To all lwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD M. SHIRLEY, of Washington, District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Horse-Detaching Devices; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure l is a top view of my improved horsedetaching device. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section; and Fig. 3 is a similar view, showing the shafts detached.

Corresponding parts in the several iigures are indicated by similar letters of reference.

My invention appertains to certain improvements in horse-detachin g devices; and it consists in the combination and construction of parts, substantially as hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

In the annexed drawings, A represents a front axle of a wagon; B, the wheels; C, the spring; D, the bottom of the body 5 E, the reach, and F the shafts.

Rigidly secured to the axle A, at each side of its center, are two jaws, G, to which are pivoted thelower jaws, Er. The fronts of these jaws are made circular and provided with oblong slots to receive the ends of the shafts F, which have lugs f to fit neatly therein. The rear ends of the jaws G G are forced apart by springs suitably held in place, which, in the present case, are by pins g, which project into elongated slots g' in the jaws G. This action of the spring upon the jaws keeps them closed at their outer ends.

Connected to the jaws G by the connectingrods Hand K and a rock-shaft, I, having arms i on either side of the arm fi', and working in the journals J, attached to the axle A, is secured the bent lever L, pivoted in the bottom of the wagon-body.

The operation of detaching the shaft-s is as follows: The device being in its normal position, as shown in Fig. `2, the lever L is raised, which, through the intermediate mechanism, raises the rear ends of the jaws G', causing the front ends to release the shafts, as shown in Fig. 3.

The advantages of this invention, and that a pole can be attached as well as shafts, are too obvious for further description.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is Y l. The stationary and pivoted j aws secured to the axle, having oblong slots to surround the shank of the shafts, slot g', spring, andpin g, substantially as `and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of the stationary and pivoted jaws, constructed as described, slot g', spring, and pin g, with the hand-lever and intermediate mechanism, substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination, with the stationary and pivoted jaws and a spring, of the connectingrods H and K, rock-shaft I, with arms i i', journals J, and lever L, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I hereunto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD M. SHIRLEY.

Witnesses:

JAMES H. LANGE, JNO. J oY EDsoN. 

